Media Relations Associate NGO Job GiveDirectly, Nairobi, Kenya

What this role will do:

• This position will be responsible for pitching GiveDirectly programs and research to key media and thought leaders, reporting directly to the Senior Manager of Media and Strategic Communications. This person will be pitching traditional media and supporting GiveDirectly’s surrogate strategy — cultivating relationships with public intellectuals, newsletter writers, podcasters, and other content creators who can serve as credible, independent advocates for cash transfers to high-value audiences. It is a role that spans lead generation research, writing pitches, prepping spokespeople, tracking progress over time. 
• In addition, this person will help build the infrastructure that makes the team smarter and faster. This includes maintaining and improving internal systems and being the in-team expert on AI-powered tools and automation.

What strong candidates should spike on:

• Execution: Have high accountability to outcomes (quantitative and qualitative) while balancing attention to detail with short timelines
• Details: Deliver high-quality communications products to both internal and external stakeholders
• Narrative: Hold a high bar for what’s interesting to journalists and public audiences, never sending things that smell like “PR” or AI-generated spam
• Curiosity: Stay on top of emerging media trends and AI capabilities — always looking for a better way to achieve outcomes or improve understanding of direct cash aid through earned media.

Responsibilities

• These responsibilities are a starting point; we expect them to evolve as the person in this role helps shape it:

Media Pitching & Placement

• Pitch Across All Contexts: Support media pitching and surrogate engagement across GiveDirectly’s core work — rapid-response emergency cash moments, new research, and innovative programs. This includes traditional and non-traditional outlets (newsletters, podcasts, YouTubers, public intellectuals) whose audiences overlap with our donor targets. 
• Build and Manage Relationships: Develop ongoing relationships with journalists, editors, producers, and thought leaders — including coordinating media visits with in-country teams.
• Track from Pitch to Placement: Work with the wider Marketing team to package GiveDirectly’s work into angles that break through editorially. Keep stakeholders informed at every stage; update status and flag risks early.

Media Research and Analysis

• Reporter Research and Prospecting: Research the background of traditional and new media reporters and surrogates — especially in the prospecting phase — to ensure pitches break through and match up with their personal stakes and editorial interests.
• Donor Media Research: Conduct ongoing research on media outlets consumed by GiveDirectly’s donors and targets— gaining a deeper knowledge of each outlet’s editorial voice, content patterns, and how GD’s story best fits.
• Media Monitoring: Read key newsletters, verticals, and media sources regularly; share roundups and flag opportunities with the broader communications team; build AI tools that make this scalable and fast.

Internal Systems and Team Support

• AI and Automation: Provide deep support to the team’s AI and automation toolkit — identify ways to streamline repetitive work, stay current on emerging tools, and be able to pilot new workflows with manager guidance that make the communications team faster and smarter (Note: GiveDirectly works on Claude)
• Coverage Tracking: Log, monitor, and analyze coverage in Airtable; ensure the system is a reliable, up-to-date source of truth for media activity so senior leadership know the status of GiveDirectly’s pipeline and can easily find relevant materials.
• Pipeline Management: Keep the media and outreach pipeline clean in Salesforce — making sure outlets, reporters, and prospects are in the system correctly, that leads don’t get lost or stale, and that statuses are current

Qualifications & Experience (Must Haves)

• 2-5 years of experience in media relations, PR, communications, journalism or related fields
• Compelling experience at desk research — able to make sense of opportunities and leads within an opaque industry
• Strong familiarity with traditional and non-traditional media and content creators in the United States
• Experience with AI tools for research, writing, and workflow automation
• Exceptional project management skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple workflows simultaneously
• Excellent verbal and written skills, with a focus on concise and intentional communication
• Ability to “think” like a journalist — telling a compelling story and communicating why it matters without setting off their PR alarm
• Comfort with systems and tools — Airtable and other CRMs — and a disposition toward building better workflows, not just following existing ones

Nice to Haves

• Familiarity with the Substack, podcast, and YouTube — especially voices in EA, tech, and finance. 
• Experience in influencer campaigns and partnerships
• Familiarity with traditional and new media in European and Middle Eastern markets.
• Based in a major journalist & thought leader hub for in person meetings, e.g. NYC, SF, London, Nairobi, DC, LA, Chicago, Boston, Austin, Amsterdam, etc.

How to Apply

Click here to apply